Press Releases, Statements and Opinion

April 19th, 2013 – “Hearing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation” Statement for the Record

As the Senate Judiciary Committee meets to consider immigration reform, we, the undersigned women’s rights, immigrant rights and other organizations from across the United States, urge the Committee and all members of Congress to ensure that women’s priorities and lived realities are at the forefront of the immigration debate. We welcome the tremendous momentum around immigration reform and call on the members of the Senate Judiciary to take every necessary measure to ensure that reform is inclusive of women. Any future immigration laws and processes must ensure that women are treated humanely and fairly, and must allow them to fully contribute to our culture, economy, and communities in America. Immigration policy reform is not broad unless it includes women and meets the needs of their families.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) commends the U.S. Senate on its introduction of the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act,” a bipartisan proposal for immigration reform. The NCIWR applauds the tireless work of the Senators leading the effort, known as the “Gang of Eight”—Michael Bennet (D–Colo.), Richard Durbin (D–Ill.), Jeff Flake (R–Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R–S.C.), John McCain (R–Ariz.), Robert Menendez (D–N.J.), Marco Rubio (R–Fla.), and Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) and congratulates them on reaching an agreement on this important issue.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 500 people from a coalition of women’s groups gathered at the Capitol Monday to amplify the voices of immigrant women and show that women’s voices are essential to immigration policy reform. Advocates are asking Congress to remember that immigrant women are vital contributors to the American economy and to advance policies that defend women and families and support healthy families for strong communities.

Advocates call for immigration policy reform that embraces the contributions and advances the civil and human rights of immigrant women

For Immediate Release

Contact: Erin White, erin@caminopr.com / 212.255.2575

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on International Women’s Day, the National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) is announcing March for Immigrant Women: A Month of Action for Citizenship, Families, and Justice. This will be a national effort to elevate voices in support of an inclusive immigration reform package that addresses the needs of women.

“Unfortunately, as our country moves toward reforming immigration policy, women—the backbones of our families and communities— are at risk of being left out. Throughout the month of March, immigrant women, advocates and movement leaders will be joining forces to demand recognition of immigrant women’s contributions and unique needs,” said Miriam Yeung, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), a steering committee member of NCIWR. Yeung added “This month, as part of March for Immigrant Women, NCIWR will encourage efforts at the local, state, and national level to advocate for and advance the health, safety and civil rights of immigrant women.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) celebrates the House’s passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The bill provides much needed new protections for immigrant women and girls, including protections from rape and sexual assault for detained children through the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Though the bill does not include an expansion of U-visas that was a part of earlier versions of the bill, it represents a long overdue step forward in the effort to protect survivors of violence. The bill also provides important new protections for LGBT and Native American survivors.

“We are encouraged by the House’s leadership in passing the Violence Against Women Act, especially the inclusion of protections that will support young and LGBT immigrants,” said Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH), a member of NCIWR’s steering committee. “Yet, we urge Congress to remain committed to advancing protections for immigrant survivors of domestic and sexual assault and take up the U-visa expansion for immigrants, a provision which did not make it into this bill.”

Much work remains to ensure policies support women immigrants, their health and their families

For Immediate Release

Contact: Erin White, erin@caminopr.com / 212.255.2575

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Coalition for the Immigrant Women’s Rights, which released a Statement of Principles on Women and Immigration Reform last month, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s remarks on immigration policy reform during the State of the Union address:

“We’re encouraged by the President’s continued support for the comprehensive immigration policy reform our country desperately needs. Tonight the President, whose guests included members of our community fighting for reform, like a young activist, a Latino service member, an Asian American hero, a Filipino nurse and a naturalized citizen from Haiti, called for stronger families, stronger communities and a stronger America.

Advocates continue to call for protections for immigrant survivors in immigration reforms

For Immediate Release

Contact: Erin White, erin@caminopr.com / 212.255.2575

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) commends the Senate’s passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), but expresses concern over the exclusion of critical provisions for immigrant survivors of domestic and sexual violence. While the Senate-approved VAWA bill retains many of the same protections as the bill proposed in the 112th Congress, it does not include the provision increasing the number of U-visas for undocumented immigrants who are survivors of domestic or sexual violence.

Michelle Brané of the Women’s Refugee Commission, a member of NCIWR’s steering committee, states, “We are encouraged by the Senate’s leadership in passing the Violence Against Women Act, but are concerned that needed protections for immigrant survivors were left out of the final bill.” Brané adds, “There is an obvious need for additional U-visas to protect victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and we hope that immigration reform will take seriously the need to ensure the safety of immigrant victims.”

“As Congress and the White House move to reform our immigration laws, it is imperative that policymakers recognize the contributions of immigrant women and address the needs of our communities,” notes Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH). González-Rojas adds, “Women’s issues have been marginalized in previous debates and discussions around immigration reform. This Statement of Principles asserts a vision for immigration reform that is inclusive of, and responsive to, the unique needs of immigrant women and their families.”

Bill would have chilling effect on care for pregnant women, victims of violence

For Immediate Release

Contact: Erin White, erin@caminopr.com / 212.255.2575

NEW YORK — Today, the National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) condemns legislation introduced into the Arizona legislature by Rep. Steve Smith (R-Maricopa) that would require hospital workers to determine the citizenship of patients without insurance information. This is a misguided bill that targets and stigmatizes immigrants and will make it more difficult for immigrants, including immigrant women and their families, to access important care.

“At a time when immigrant women face so many challenges in getting basic health care, and are increasingly targeted by anti-immigrant legislation, this bill would take another step backward. Our communities deserve better,” said Miriam Yeung, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), a steering committee member of NCIWR.

This unconscionable bill would hit immigrant women particularly hard, creating a chilling effect on immigrants seeking critical and preventative care for themselves and their families. This legislation in Arizona has potential to further promote anti-immigrant rhetoric that creates an environment of stigma and fear.

Washington, D.C. — The National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) condemns new federal legislation introduced by Representative Steve King (R-IA) that seeks to deny 14th amendment rights to citizenship and targets immigrant families. The bill (HR-140) would deny birthright citizenship to children of some immigrant parents.

“Immigrant women have called for humane reforms to our immigration policies that uplift the human rights, dignity, and contributions of immigrant women. Today’s proposal flies in the face of this,” notes Miriam Yeung, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), Steering Committee member of NCIWR.

The 14th amendment reads, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside,” and has been consistently interpreted by courts to protect birthright citizenship, regardless of the immigration status of one’s parents.

Contact: Erin White, erin@caminopr.com / 212.255.2575
(WASHINGTON) — Today the United States Supreme Court rendered a mixed decision, striking down portions of SB 1070, one of the harshest and most criticized immigration laws in the country, while leaving others intact. Notably, the Court upheld the “papers, please” provision of the law, which requires local law enforcement to stop and question anyone who appears to be an immigrant and has widely been interpreted as encouraging racial profiling. Many civil rights leaders and immigration experts have predicted the Arizona law would promote stigma and bias against Latinas and women immigrants, leaving them more vulnerable to crimes like intimate partner violence and less likely to seek needed services like prenatal care. Today the National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) expresses grave concern that even partially upheld SB 1070 is a major setback for women immigrants.

April 25th, 2012: Arizona immigration law targets Immigrant Women and their families

For Immediate Release
Contact: Erin White-Casselman, 212-255-2575

(Washington, D.C.) — This week the Supreme Court holds hearings to determine the constitutionality of the nation’s most controversial state immigration law, Arizona’s SB 1070. The National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) opposes the law because it promotes stigma, bias and blatant racial profiling by demanding police seek out “foreign characteristics” to identify immigrants without documents, among other serious flaws.

April 18th, 2012: Stop Racial Profiling: it is too costly to our families, our communities, and our country

For Immediate Release
Contact: Erin White-Casselman, 212-255-2575

The National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) applauds Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights for holding yesterday’s hearing on the role and impact of racial profiling in our law enforcement systems and in our communities. The hearing, entitled “End Racial Profiling in America,” was the first Congressional hearing on profiling since September 11, 2011, despite the fact that racial profiling has played a large role in law enforcement under the guise of “immigration enforcement” and “anti-terrorism” over the past decade.

As members of immigrant families, as women of color, and as mothers ourselves, we were appalled when the United States House of Representatives introduced HR 3541 late last year. This legislation, which could come to a floor vote soon, cloaks itself in the language and names of civil rights heroes, but is in fact a duplicitous attack on the health, dignity, and human rights of all women of color, including immigrant women.
When Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ) introduced the “Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act” (better known as PRENDA) late last year, civil and women’s rights advocates were left scratching our heads. A quick analysis of the bill made it clear that this legislation, which purports to ban “race- and sex-selection abortion,” would limit a woman’s access to safe abortion care, punish providers for a woman’s perceived race and motivations, and perpetuate harmful stereotypes about Asian and Pacific Islander (API) women, Latinas, and African-American women.

Washington, DC— Today, the National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights stands in solidarity with the “One Family, One Alabama” campaign to end Alabama’s anti-immigration policies that have destroyed thousands of lives as families are torn apart. After the passage of the state’s harsh immigration law, HB56, thousands of immigrants have left the state, decimating the state’s economy and perpetuating an ongoing climate of terror and fear for women and their families.

“Alabama has clearly shown that immigration policies built on intimidation and fear do nothing but create havoc and disarray”, said Jessica González-Rojas of National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights. “Since it went into effect, thousands of Alabamans have been forced to flee, abandoning homes and jobs, and those who have decided to stick it out in the state’s hostile environment may find themselves without water, work, or even a home.”

A press conference will be held on September 29 in front of the Georgia State Capitol Building, 203 Washington Street, at 10:30 a.m.

Steering committee members National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum are part of a delegation of women’s organizations that will travel to Atlanta this week to bear witness to the effects on women, children and families of Georgia’s new anti-immigrant law.

“Every time an anti-immigrant lawmaker spouts off about “anchor babies” or “alien invaders”, immigrant mothers are wrongfully vilified and dehumanized,” said Maria Elena Perez, interim executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. “As women, as mothers, we are here to tell lawmakers to stop with the lies and scapegoating of immigrant women and our families.”

According to New America Media, more than half of all immigrants are women and women are increasingly likely to primary breadwinners and primary family care takers. Yet, immigrant women, particularly those of reproductive age, have been specifically accused of exacerbating global warming, raising terrorist babies, and using childbirth to gain citizenship status.

Like Arizona’s SB1070, Georgia’s new HB 87 law threatens to have devastating effects on women and children, including an increase in racial profiling, the separation of families (children from parents), an increased fear of reporting crimes such as domestic violence and sexual assault; workplace raids; and the denial of services.

In a forthcoming report from the National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights, called Women in Immigration: Right to Liberty, Right to Family, immigration policy experts analyzed the intersection of gender and immigration. In this first of its kind, comprehensive review, NCIWR found that the impact of immigration policies on women is cumulative rather than additive. Misinformation and lies have led to policies that cut women immigrants – undocumented and documented alike—out of important social programs. This occurs despite evidence that individuals without current legal papers pay into government as much as others who receive benefits and use these programs less often.

“The sad reality is that millions of undocumented and mixed status women and children live below the surface in American society—with little to no access to health care, education or even food assistance programs, added Perez. “This should be unacceptable in the land of opportunity.”

February 7, 2011: National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights Calls on Arizona Legislators to Vote Against Anti-Family Bills

The National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights calls on Arizona legislators to silence the campaign of intimidation and stigma aimed at immigrant women and their families by voting against efforts to change citizenship definitions.

Today, the Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee will consider two anti-family bills: SB1309 and SB1308 both introduced by state Senator Gould (R-3). These laws would deny citizenship to children of undocumented parents, require health department officials to create a second class of birth records for children whose parents have not produced adequate proof of citizenship, and create an unenforceable “pact” among states who are defying legal precedent with these anti-immigrant laws.

“Arizona lawmakers are proposing to deny infants their human and constitutional rights as part of a political campaign aimed at luring the courts into re-examining the meaning of citizenship. Further, they are attempting to export this campaign of hate and stigma to other states at the expense of women.” Read more.

January 28, 2011: Coalition opposes new bills targeting women immigrants, their children and the 14th amendment

The National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights strongly condemns the ongoing campaign of intimidation and stigma aimed at immigrant women and their families. This week, Senators David Vitter (R-La) and Rand Paul (R-Ky) introduced federal legislation and Arizona state lawmakers proposed state legislation to deny citizenship to children born in the United States.

This week’s legislative actions in Arizona occur in the backdrop of the trial of anti-immigrant resident vigilantes accused of “raiding” the home and shooting a mother, father and nine year old child resulting in the death of the young girl and her father. Read more.

January 7, 2011: Anti-immigrant lawmakers ramp up attacks on families
“anchor babies”
“alien invaders”
“lawless destructive anarchy of invasion”
These are just a few of the derogatory phrases being used to describe women and their children by anti-immigrant state lawmakers at a press conference in the nation’s Capitol. We attended the press conference and noted the absence of any acknowledgment of the role immigrants have played in our communities, helping to shape the very fabric of America. Instead, it was a show of legislative tricks and scapegoating of vulnerable populations. Read more.

January 5, 2011: Defending Our Children and Families
National leaders in the movement for women’s rights and equality are denouncing the dehumanizing anti-immigrant rhetoric and unjust attacks on basic human rights, including citizenship. Anti-immigrant lawmakers and groups have prioritized targeting the children of immigrants, despite constitutional protections under the 14th amendment.
Read our press release here and find out more.

April 28, 2010: Protect our Families from Immigration Bias and Stigma
National leaders in the movement for women’s rights and equality are condemning Arizona’s new law that promotes stigma, bias, and blatant profiling of women immigrants. We call on women’s rights supporters everywhere to oppose this new law, and we commend President Barack Obama and Senate leadership for continuing to support the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Read more.

March 21, 2010: March Activists Call for Family-Friendly Immigration Policies, Labor Protections and Health Care Reforms for Nation’s Immigrant Women
“Throughout history, immigrant women have been the cornerstones of this nation. They work in our hospitals, stores, and restaurants in hopes of building a better life for their families and future generations,” said Maria Robalino, Assistant to the Director of Immigration at SEIU. “ It’s time for policy makers to live up to the American promise and create worker protections that include immigrants.” Read more.